Automobile gasoline system



Dec. 9, 1924. 1,518,906

M. w. EDWARDS I Y AUTOMOBILE GASOLINE SYSTEM Filed Jan. '7, 1924 Patented Dec. 9, 1 924.

UNITED STATES 1,518,906 PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHEW W. EDWARDS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

AUTOMOBILE GASOLINE SYSTEM.

Application filed January 7, 1924. Serial No. 684,718.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW W. EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Automobile Gasoline System, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

My invention has for its object to provide a s stem for supplying gasoline vapor that coll ects above the surface of the liquid gasoline in the gasoline tank of the automobile to the engine. The invention also provides a means whereby the gasoline vapor may be separated from the liquid to prevent any of the liquid passing through the system embodying my invention to the engme, the system embodying my invention being used in conjunction with a carburetor which receives liquid gasoline from the gasoline tank in the manner well known in the art.

The invention may be contained in systems having parts that vary in their construction and to illustrate a practical application of the invention, I have selected a system containing the invention and shall describe it hereinafter. The system selected as an example is shown in the accompanying drawm s.

igure 1 illustrates the system embodying my invention showing the diagrammatical connections of the parts. Fig. 2 1s a longitudinal section of the gasoline tank. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 indicated in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional View of an automatic valve operated by the suction of the engine for controlling the supply of the gasoline vapor to the engine.

The system embodying my invention s connected preferably to the intake manifold 1 of the automobile engine. A pipe 2 is connected to the manifold and to the top of the gasoline tank 3. The pipe 2 may be provided with a spring-pressed valve 4 located in a shell 5 and connected by suitable connectors or unions 6 in the pipe 2. Also a stop-cock 7 may be connected in the pipe 2 for regulating the supply of the vapor that may be produced in the gasoline tank 3. The stop-cock 7 may be controlled by any suitable means connected to the stem 8 of the stop-cock. The pipe 2 communicates with the interior of a fine-meshed screen 9 located within the gasoline tank and above the level of the gasoline liquid. The screen 9 extends into a substantially closed chamber 10 formed by a partition wall 11 that extends across the upper portion of the tank and forms the bottom wall of the chamber 10. The tank is provided with a plurality of vertical partitions 12 and 13. The bottom wall 11 of the chamber 10 may extend from an end wall of the tank 3 to one of the vertical partition walls, such as to the wall 12. Thus, the outlet of the tank 3 through the vapor line or pipe 2 is effectually protected against the hquid gasoline that might otherwise enter the vapor line by reason of the disturbance caused in the gasoline by the movement of the vehicle over the road.

Communication is made with the chamber 10 to all parts of the gasoline tank above the level 0 the gasoline liquid through openings formed in the upper part of the partitions 12 and 13. Screens 14 may be located in the openings formed in the upper ends of the partitions 12 and 13. The screen 14 in the partition 12 also prevents much of the ggsoline liquid from entering the chamber In order that the gasoline may flow from one chamber to the other as it is being used through the carburetor, the partitions 12 and 13 are provided with openings 15 located at the bottom of the partitions.

In order to permit the gasoline liquid to flow into the carburetor and also to permit circulation or movement of the vapor, air is admitted into the gasoline tank through the automatic valves 16. The valves 16 may be formed of a spring-pressed ball located in a thimble 17 and having a suitable opening through which air may enter into the gasoline tank when the pressure within the gasoline tank is sufiiciently reduced by the action of the engine. If desired, each of the chambers formed by the partition walls 12 and 13 may be provided with an automatic valve to admit air. Preferably, however, one of such automatic valves is located above and controls the air supply to the chamber 18 located at the end of the tank, remote from the end to which the pipe 2 is connected. Thereby, the air will pass through. each of the chambers and mix with the vapor formed above the liquid gasoline.

By my invention is thus provided a means for collecting gasoline vapor produced by the agitation to which the liquid gasoline is subjected, mixing it with air and conveying it to the intake manifold of the engine at a point between the carburetor and the engine.

Also by my invention, choking the carbu retor may be entirely eliminated, even in cold weather, since the vapor that enters through the pipe 2 will have a temperature substantially the same as that of the engine and consequently will not condense on the surfaces of the c linders of the engme. The intake through t e carburetor. may be closed, to the extent that it is usually closed by the butterfly valve commonly employed, that 15, the carburetor control ing lever on the steering post of a Ford machine to which my invention may be applied, may 1n 9, closed position and yet the engine Wlll start notwithstanding vthe fact that the englne and the weather is cold.

I claim 2-- I In a system for supplymg gasoline vapor to an automobile engine oonsistin of an automobile gasoline tank having a orizontal partition forming a chamber at the top of the tank, a pipe connectin the chamber with the intake manifold of t e engine and between'the carburetor of the engine and the engine, a vertical partition located at the en tending across the tank and having a 25' of the horizontal partition forming one of the end walls of the chamber and ex-' screened o ening connecting the said cham- 4 ber with t e interior of the body portion of the tank,- an automatic one way spring pressed valve connected to the top of the line tank for allowing air to pass to the tank and through the pipe as it is drawn by the engine, and a spring pressed one way valve located in.the pipe for ermitting air vapor pass to the mani old of the engine according to the suction pro- L duced in the engine.

In testimony whereof, I have .hereunto signed my name to this pification. MATTHEW 2' EDWARDS. 

